Old Testament Prophets

Prophets Amos and Micah, When Religion Isn’t Enough—Understanding Justice and How to Apply It

2026-05-09 by Yvon Prehn

This lesson explores the ministries of the prophets Amos and Micah, who preached during a time of outward religious activity but deep moral and spiritual corruption.

Though the people continued religious ceremonies, they ignored justice, mercy, humility, and care for others–and in this we see reminders of our world today.

Amos warned the Northern Kingdom of Israel before its destruction, while Micah challenged the Southern Kingdom of Judah with similar messages. Both prophets reminded God’s people that true faith is not simply religious observance, but a transformed life reflecting God’s character through justice, mercy, and humility.

The lesson especially focuses on Micah 6:8 and the call to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” We go into detail on the meanings of each of these terms in practical ways for our lives.

Following is the podcast, video, and below them a PDF copy of the Notes and Discussion Guide.

If you would like the original, editable files for this lesson to use freely in your teaching, go to the following link from the Bible805 Academy: https://bible805academy.com/b/pDJ2A

Jonah, about so much more than a fish

2026-05-09 by Yvon Prehn

This lesson on Jonah reminds us that the story is about far more than a man swallowed by a fish. It is a true historical account, affirmed by Jesus, and filled with powerful lessons about obedience, mercy, and God’s heart for all people.

Jonah was not an unknown or struggling prophet—he was successful, respected, and accustomed to delivering good news to his own people. But when God called him to preach repentance to the brutal and hated Assyrians, Jonah refused. Instead of obeying, he ran in the opposite direction and through the storm, the great fish, and Jonah’s repentance, we see that disobedience never leads to a better outcome. God’s discipline is not meant to destroy us, but to bring us back to Him. When Jonah finally obeyed, the people of Nineveh repented, and God showed them mercy.

However, Jonah’s response reveals one of the most challenging truths in the lesson—he was angry at God’s compassion. He wanted mercy for himself but not for others. This exposes a common struggle in our own hearts.

The lesson concludes with three major applications: God’s mercy extends to even the worst people, we cannot assume who has or has not heard God’s message, and new believers need teaching and follow-up to grow in their faith. Ultimately, Jonah points us to Jesus, who perfectly obeyed God and completed the work He was given.

Following is the podcast, video, and below them a PDF copy of the Notes and Discussion Guide. If you would like the original, editable files for this lesson to use freely in your teaching, go to the following link from the Bible805 Academy: https://bible805academy.com/b/FKaZA

Ancient Prophets, Modern Messages, an Introduction

2026-04-24 by bible805

This lesson introduces the Old Testament prophets and corrects many common misunderstandings about them. While people often think prophets primarily predicted the coming of Jesus or spoke about the distant future, the majority of their message was directed to their own time. They were God’s messengers, calling His people back to obedience and warning them of the consequences of disobedience.

A prophet is simply “one who speaks for God,” and prophecy is more about forth-telling—declaring God’s truth—than foretelling the future. The prophets served as “covenant enforcers,” reminding Israel of the promises they made to God and the blessings or consequences that would follow.

This lesson emphasizes that God does not act arbitrarily. From the beginning, He clearly told His people what would happen if they obeyed or disobeyed. The prophets were sent repeatedly, often over centuries, as an expression of God’s patience, love, and desire for restoration—not punishment.

For us today, the message is just as relevant. We are now God’s representatives, called to both right belief (orthodoxy) and right living (orthopraxy). The prophets remind us that following God is serious, that our choices have consequences, and that God continually calls His people back to Himself with both warning and hope.

Following is the podcast and then the PowerPoint video of the lesson, below them the Notes and Discussion Guide.

If you’d like downloadable, free and editable resources for this lesson from the Bible805 Academy, go to: https://bible805academy.com/b/8LADk

Live with the End in Mind, hopeful, joyful reminders from Micah, Isaiah, and Zephaniah

2023-07-10 by bible805

The bestselling book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People totally revolutionized the lives of millions of people and one of the habits he talked about is a great summary of our lesson today. The habit I’m talking about is Habit #2—Begin With the End in Mind

The prophets who preached after the fall of Israel and before Judah was conquered by Babylon preached to challenge people to do this. [Read more…]

How We Got the Old Testament, and why we can trust it as the Word of God

2022-09-18 by bible805

The Old Testament makes up a large section of our Bibles, but though many people are familiar with the first part of it with the stories of Creation and the early characters in Biblical history, many people stop there.

Unfortunately also is the idea many people have of the Old Testament is that it is a collection of ancient stories and fables and not something based on true history that can be objectively verified. [Read more…]